Edit: After three years of living in Africa, I'm home again in Chicagoland. ....it's good (and a little weird) to be home.

I'm a nomadic molecular biologist with an unused theater degree utilizing science to see the world. I will usually say 'yes', and I'm pretty happy with where that has taken me. ..Dichotomies man, gotta love em'.

Um... I guess I'm the scientist you'd meet in the mosh pit or climbing urban sculptures under the cover of dark for kicks ...if that makes sense.

lyrics to live by:"Welcome to this world have as much fun as you would like,while helping others have as much fun as you're having.Be kind to those you love, and be kind to those you don't, but for god's sake you've gotta be kind...and respectful because we're all one soul.Be the best fucking human that you can be!" - AJJ

What I’m doing with my life

I learned how to manipulate DNA while studying Shakespeare, and it's taken me to 4 continents in the last year. ...I can't help but laugh about that. I'm currently working on microbial ecology in extreme environments. Metagenomics, represent! ( I swear, with a whiteboard and enough colors, I can explain why this is a worth while endeavor if you happen to think otherwise :)

Recovering from an epic trip out west to Burning Man, and the subsequent travel that comfortable coincidence afforded me on the 3 weeks I took to get home.

Trying to find a way to meet the kind of kindred souls you meet on the road while living the life sedentary. Travel is just some sort of universal filter that lets those lovers of life stream forth in higher concentrations, but I'm trying here at home.

Trying to find a knitting project that will top my previous one.

I’m really good at

An Irish friend who told me how excitable I am, so I guess I'm really good at getting stoked about pretty much anything. But then again, this dude is probably the most surly, pessimistic, curmudgeon I've ever met, so who's to say?

I would like to think my first impression test-o-meter. ...well I hope anyway, I use it quite a bit when hopping into stranger's cars and following new people on random adventures. It has worked out rather well so far, so at least there's that :)

...and eating. I'll sleep in a park to save a buck when I backpack, but I'll always throw down the cash for a not-to-be-missed meal on the road. To that end, I also really enjoy cooking as well.

Favorite books, movies, shows, music, and food

'Favorite' to me means a somewhat concise list, so I'll rock a 'top first ten favorite books that pop in my head' in no particular order...